The present invention is concerned with a handle and, in particular, with a handle which may be used in a locking mechanism.
Various types of locking mechanisms and handles for using therewith are known. One such mechanism is disclosed in Swiss Patent No. 626134. This document describes a locking mechanism for locking two parts which can move relative to one another. The locking mechanism is suitable for use in the transport industry and, more particularly, the air travel industry. In view of the high demands placed on locks in the airline industry, only those locks which have satisfied specific testing requirements in terms of increased security are permissible. Security of locking devices is of paramount importance to safety in the airline industry.
Previous handles used in locking mechanisms of the type disclosed in Swiss Patent No. 626134 generally comprise a lever or the like having a bore therethrough for receiving a bolt or locking pin, the bolt or locking pin securing the lever to the housing of the locking mechanism passing through an aperture or bore in both the housing of the locking mechanism and a cam positioned on the inside of the housing. A cap screw or a nut or the like is then fastened on the end of the bolt or locking pin passing through the cam. Therefore handles for use in locking mechanisms of the type disclosed in Swiss Patent No. 626134 typically comprise a plurality of individual components fixed relative to one another.
Handles of this type generally have longer assembly times and increase the risk of failure in view of the amount of individual components.
The present inventors have now devised a handle for use in a locking mechanism which alleviates such disadvantages and which is particularly advantageous in terms of its relative ease of assembly.
Therefore, according to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a handle for use in a locking mechanism, said handle comprising a cam for actuating said locking mechanism, adjacent which is located an elongate portion or lever, and a connecting portion intermediate to and unitary with said cam and said elongate portion. Thus, advantageously, the handle according to the present invention obviates the need for assembly of individual components and which offers increased security when used in locking mechanisms, such as for example, in the airline industry.
Preferably, the handle further comprises a flange on said connecting portion for abutting an outer surface of a housing of said locking mechanism, which advantageously, may stabilize the handle against the housing of the locking mechanism. In one embodiment, the longitudinal axis of said lever is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said cam. In another embodiment, the longitudinal axis of said lever is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said cam. Rotation of the lever in a particular plane advantageously permits rotation of the cam in a plane parallel thereto. Preferably, the handle according to the invention is formed by injection moulding of a suitable material such as stainless steel or a rigid plastic or the like.
The handle according to the present invention, may advantageously, be included in a suitable locking mechanism. Therefore, according to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a locking mechanism comprising:
(a) a handle rotatably mounted in a housing of said locking mechanism,
(b) the cam of said handle being provided on the inside of said housing and between two pawls mounted for pivotal movement in mutually opposed directions between a first locking position and a second open position for securing a locking member in said locking position, said pawls being biased toward said locking position by resilient biasing means, relative rotation between said handle and said housing permitting said locking member to be released from said locking position.
Preferably, the rotation of the handle in the housing causes the locking member to be released from the locking position.
Preferably, the resilient biasing means comprises spring biasing means which is preferably a compression, helical or strip spring or the like. The pawls are, advantageously, pivotable about their ends remote from the end of the pawls engaging the locking member, within a bearing surface provided in the housing, and which pawls, preferably, each comprise a strip disposed in an axis parallel to said cam.
In a particularly preferred embodiment of this aspect of the invention the housing of the locking mechanism comprises an aperture which is shaped and dimensioned to receive said handle therein, which aperture is such that entry into and exit from said housing is possible only at a particular orientation of said handle relative to the housing.
This embodiment of this aspect of the invention is particularly advantageous because the handle and the housing of the locking mechanism thus constitute a self-locating assembly which may only be dismantled when the handle is in a particular position in the housing. Advantageously, the handle may only be removed or inserted into the aperture of said housing when the locking mechanism is being assembled or dismantled. Preferably, the orientation of said aperture is such that when the pawls are positioned within the housing, the handle cannot be removed from the aperture. Thus, advantageously, the locking mechanism according to the invention provides increased security whilst the possibility of the locking mechanism failing is substantially reduced. The locking mechanism is also particularly advantageous in terms of its relative ease of manufacture and subsequent assembly.
Preferably, the handle of the locking mechanism is rotatable within the housing in a plane parallel to the outer surface of the housing, about an axis of rotation corresponding to the central axis of said connection portion. One end of the housing of the locking mechanism is optionally arcuate and corresponding to the arc of rotation of said handle. The handle advantageously also further comprises guide means, such as a guide rail or flange or the like for engaging the housing, to facilitate rotation of said handle on the arcuate end of the housing and to secure the handle thereto. A recess is also provided in the inside of said housing for receiving the locking member which preferably is located on a door or the like to be locked using the locking mechanism according to the invention.
According to a further aspect of the present invention there is also provided a self-locating assembly for a locking mechanism according to the invention, which assembly comprises a handle according to the invention and a housing for a locking mechanism having an aperture therein shaped and dimensioned for receiving said handle such that entry into and exit from said housing is possible only at a particular orientation of said handle. This assembly is particularly advantageous for use in a locking mechanism according to the invention in terms of the increased security provided by such locking mechanisms. Such an assembly is also particularly advantageous as regards its relative ease of manufacture compared to previous locking devices.